anyone have opinions on Branson Tractors?

[Bullstrode35]

Since you're asking for opinions, I just thought you might be interested to hear from somebody with a Branson that's done a few hours and can say how they hold up.

Mine's a 6530R. I bought it when it was about 5 years old and had done 900 hours on a dairy farm where it was left out in all weathers and worked pretty hard.

I'm pleased to report that the Branson held up well even though the previous owner admitted that his farm hands had given it a tough time. Yes, I'm pleased with it. The Cummins engine is all you'd expect, the body is strong, the features good and the advice and parts easily available.

Certainly worth considering. But at the end of the day, it's what you're comfortable with,

cheers,

B35

 

[TomSeller]

Screw that, get a REAL American tractor ... a Massey Ferguson. I mean, what name sounds more American than Massey Ferguson? Of course, Massey (and Massey-Harris) were Canadian companies, and Ferguson was from the UK ... and even when they merged as Massey-Harris-Ferguson (and then MF) they were still Canadian. They were later acquired by AGCO, one of the worlds largest global farm/machinery companies, based out of Duluth, GA. And even though the Massey Compacts are made in Japan by Iseki, and even though the current 26xx series tractors are produced in Brazil, and even though the 46xx series tractors are also built in Japan by Iseki... all that matters is that SOME of the MF tractors are built in the US by AGCO, and of course it has an American HQ ... so MF must be American?!?!

I got dizzy following that. I have Two old Masseys I would never part with.

 

[TSO]

I got dizzy following that. I have Two old Masseys I would never part with.

I know, right? It's funny what qualifies in people's minds these days as "American" ...

My 2004 Toyota Sequoia was built in Indiana and has around 80% domestic parts content... More than the vast majority of "American" cars, especially back in 2004. Yet I still hear "why don't you buy American vehicles?" from people.

Not that I wouldn't want to see my tractor built right here ... Hopefully someday that happens again.

 

[arlen4720]

Not that I wouldn't want to see my tractor built right here ... Hopefully someday that happens again.

You just have to buy bigger ones:thumbsup:

 

[acrozier]

I know, right? It's funny what qualifies in people's minds these days as "American" ...

My 2004 Toyota Sequoia was built in Indiana and has around 80% domestic parts content... More than the vast majority of "American" cars, especially back in 2004. Yet I still hear "why don't you buy American vehicles?" from people.

Not that I wouldn't want to see my tractor built right here ... Hopefully someday that happens again.

How true! My Dodge Ram was built in Mexico City. My Toyota Tundra....San Antonio, TX.

 

[acrozier]

Since you're asking for opinions, I just thought you might be interested to hear from somebody with a Branson that's done a few hours and can say how they hold up.

Mine's a 6530R. I bought it when it was about 5 years old and had done 900 hours on a dairy farm where it was left out in all weathers and worked pretty hard.

I'm pleased to report that the Branson held up well even though the previous owner admitted that his farm hands had given it a tough time. Yes, I'm pleased with it. The Cummins engine is all you'd expect, the body is strong, the features good and the advice and parts easily available.

Certainly worth considering. But at the end of the day, it's what you're comfortable with,

cheers,

B35

Thanks B35. I FINALLY got to put my 4020R to work this past week. I'll have to say I was very satisfied with how it performed.

 

[backintheday]

I feel like I have to speak up in here. Some of you may have read my post in the Branson section, I had many issues with my back hoe, the dealer did the best they could to handle it but Bransons horrible customer service dropped the ball more than a few times. When the dealer was at his wits end with Branson I called the service rep, he had some not so nice words for me. Once the problem was solved 6 months later the VP of Branson called to appologize and reassure me that my new BH will solve my problems, he was not very happy when I called him back to say his BH showed up broken ( after 30 mins of running it would not swing to the left). The dealer came out (2.5 hour drive, he had to come out about 5 times during this ordeal) he found an issue with the hydraulic circuit, haven't had a problem since. I'm in the market for a more power full cabbed tractor. I really like my Branson but I don't think I'll be giving them anymore of my money. The dealer also sells Massey ferguson. He is such a good dealer I don't care what he sells I'll buy from him again.

This was a couple years ago, I hope they have fixed their customer service issues. Actually... the email link on their webpage was added when I told the VP there is no way to contact Branson if we have a problem, he said I was right and he would fix it. I have read a few other posts that say they've emailed them and never got a response.

I'm sure some of you don't believe me, trust me I wish it wasn't true. I also wish I could meet the little F#%* that called me some not so nice words. How are the new 1700 series Masseys working out?

 

[TomSeller]

I feel like I have to speak up in here. Some of you may have read my post in the Branson section, I had many issues with my back hoe, the dealer did the best they could to handle it but Bransons horrible customer service dropped the ball more than a few times. When the dealer was at his wits end with Branson I called the service rep, he had some not so nice words for me. Once the problem was solved 6 months later the VP of Branson called to appologize and reassure me that my new BH will solve my problems, he was not very happy when I called him back to say his BH showed up broken ( after 30 mins of running it would not swing to the left). The dealer came out (2.5 hour drive, he had to come out about 5 times during this ordeal) he found an issue with the hydraulic circuit, haven't had a problem since. I'm in the market for a more power full cabbed tractor. I really like my Branson but I don't think I'll be giving them anymore of my money. The dealer also sells Massey ferguson. He is such a good dealer I don't care what he sells I'll buy from him again.

This was a couple years ago, I hope they have fixed their customer service issues. Actually... the email link on their webpage was added when I told the VP there is no way to contact Branson if we have a problem, he said I was right and he would fix it. I have read a few other posts that say they've emailed them and never got a response.

I'm sure some of you don't believe me, trust me I wish it wasn't true. I also wish I could meet the little F#%* that called me some not so nice words. How are the new 1700 series Masseys working out?

WOW. Just WOW !

 

[TSO]

I feel like I have to speak up in here. Some of you may have read my post in the Branson section, I had many issues with my back hoe, the dealer did the best they could to handle it but Bransons horrible customer service dropped the ball more than a few times. When the dealer was at his wits end with Branson I called the service rep, he had some not so nice words for me. Once the problem was solved 6 months later the VP of Branson called to appologize and reassure me that my new BH will solve my problems, he was not very happy when I called him back to say his BH showed up broken ( after 30 mins of running it would not swing to the left). The dealer came out (2.5 hour drive, he had to come out about 5 times during this ordeal) he found an issue with the hydraulic circuit, haven't had a problem since. I'm in the market for a more power full cabbed tractor. I really like my Branson but I don't think I'll be giving them anymore of my money. The dealer also sells Massey ferguson. He is such a good dealer I don't care what he sells I'll buy from him again.

This was a couple years ago, I hope they have fixed their customer service issues. Actually... the email link on their webpage was added when I told the VP there is no way to contact Branson if we have a problem, he said I was right and he would fix it. I have read a few other posts that say they've emailed them and never got a response.

I'm sure some of you don't believe me, trust me I wish it wasn't true. I also wish I could meet the little F#%* that called me some not so nice words. How are the new 1700 series Masseys working out?

Sorry to hear about your issues.

Regarding the Massey CUT tractors, I'm a big fan. I'm up to around 405 flawless hours on mine. I know she's still young, but she's been great, not a single issue.

Not sure which model Branson you have, but depending on the transmission choice you fancy, I have a couple recommendations.

If you are happy with gear/shuttle... Try to find a low hour MF 1660. They are PowerShuttle with dynaQPS trans. Basically, with that trans, your speed changes within range (L,M,H - 12x12) are push button +/- on the joystick and it has a PowerShuttle for F-to-R.

If you want HST, MF has the 1758 (59 HP) but unfortunately it's tier 4. They switched from Iseki diesels to Mitsubishi diesels for the emissions change. Not to say anything bad about the Mitsu diesels, it's just that the Iseki motors were very highly regarded. However, in tier 4, the 17xx offered a revised cab (moved a couple things around), a couple new HST features (sensitivity control, push button cruise), and an exterior PTO button... Updates from the 16xx series. Also, the new seat on the 17xx cab tractors is ridiculously nice!

 

[acrozier]

I feel like I have to speak up in here. Some of you may have read my post in the Branson section, I had many issues with my back hoe, the dealer did the best they could to handle it but Bransons horrible customer service dropped the ball more than a few times. When the dealer was at his wits end with Branson I called the service rep, he had some not so nice words for me. Once the problem was solved 6 months later the VP of Branson called to appologize and reassure me that my new BH will solve my problems, he was not very happy when I called him back to say his BH showed up broken ( after 30 mins of running it would not swing to the left). The dealer came out (2.5 hour drive, he had to come out about 5 times during this ordeal) he found an issue with the hydraulic circuit, haven't had a problem since. I'm in the market for a more power full cabbed tractor. I really like my Branson but I don't think I'll be giving them anymore of my money. The dealer also sells Massey ferguson. He is such a good dealer I don't care what he sells I'll buy from him again.

This was a couple years ago, I hope they have fixed their customer service issues. Actually... the email link on their webpage was added when I told the VP there is no way to contact Branson if we have a problem, he said I was right and he would fix it. I have read a few other posts that say they've emailed them and never got a response.

I'm sure some of you don't believe me, trust me I wish it wasn't true. I also wish I could meet the little F#%* that called me some not so nice words. How are the new 1700 series Masseys working out?

That is bad. What year is your tractor? How long ago where your problems? I am curious why your local dealer had a problem fixing the issue. Could he not get the parts from Branson? Was it an issue diagnosing the problem? Just curious.

 

[rod330]

I'm sure Bransons are fine machines but I'd never consider buying one or any similar tractor for two simple reasons-- assured parts availability and resale value.

 

[backintheday]

That is bad. What year is your tractor? How long ago where your problems? I am curious why your local dealer had a problem fixing the issue. Could he not get the parts from Branson? Was it an issue diagnosing the problem? Just curious.

2012 3510HST TLB I bought it June of 2012 the first problem came a month later and didn't get resolved until around Oct/Nov the same year. The problem was I bent the boom out ram on the BH twice, after the second time they replaced the controller assembly thinking the pressure relief valve wasn't working. It took at least 1.5 months for that to happen, after the dealer replaced the controller he called and said it's going to break again, the boom out valve is sticking so the ram keeps extending, it also started leaking out of one of the fittings on the controller so bad I had to add 5 gals of hy oil over a few weeks time. After it broke again it took about 2 months for branson to decide to rebuild the entire BH from the seat back. After that the ram bent again, I kept using it anyway and eventually broke the frame under the seat ( 2x4 steel). Now in Bransons defense my ground is very hard but in my opinion if the pressure relief valve was working properly this wouldn't have happened. I can't explain why the frame broke, I guess I'll take the hit on that and say I was working it past it's limits. Sometime after that they decided to upgrade me to the next bigger BH thinking that could take the ground I dig in. The dealer delivered it, hooked it up and dug in my septic field I was working on for a bit. He didn't have a problem, I got on it later that day to finish my septic field, 30 mins later I swung to the right and it wouldn't return to the left. The dealer came back out and fixed it, haven't had a problem since. When this started it was June, when it got resolved the ground was frozen. My dealer was in touch with branson many times, they stopped returning his calls, so I called the same number he was, that's when I was cussed at by some service half wit. My dealer had me put together the cost I had in rental equipment and what I had to pay contractors to do the digging that I couldn't do cause the BH was down, he used that to get branson to only charge me $1200 for the bigger better BH. The dealer did the best they could to take care of me, they lost a lot of money in this deal at no fault of theirs. I felt bad for them, I will buy from him again probably later this year. As far as the new BH, I dug a 7' deep x 60' long trench this summer with out a problem. The tractor is well built, can't say the same for the company. If I would have known it would have been this much of a problem and with how I was treated I would have got a lawyer, I'm pretty sure I would have had a good case, this coming from a guy who thinks lawyers/ lawsuits are a big problem with this country.

 

[Camastown]

i have a 4520r branson tractor, 2014 tier 4 . I am very happy with it . Cabelas came out with their tractor a couple weeks after I bought my branson. I am very impressed with those tractors. They are made by TYM. They are loaded with lots of extra features like rear remotes standard. Korea has some great tractor manufacturers including kioti. I was told by a mahindra tractor dealer that was closing his doors, that to stay away from the india built tractors.

 

[rydfree]

I'm sure Bransons are fine machines but I'd never consider buying one or any similar tractor for two simple reasons-- assured parts availability and resale value.

Well I didn't buy mine with resale in mind , I bought it to work the piss out of it LOL . I looked at Kubota for I love my ZG222 but the price was just too much for a smaller tractor . I looked at 28-38 hp offerings from Kioti,LS,Mihindra but the 3520 Branson was so much more tractor and built very well I could not pass it up . So far it has been a beast clearing my 7.5 acres of total brush . I don't think parts availability will be a problem as Ebay has everything I believe .

 

[Mr Bitz]

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Well I didn't buy mine with resale in mind , I bought it to work the piss out of it LOL . I looked at Kubota for I love my ZG222 but the price was just too much for a smaller tractor . I looked at 28-38 hp offerings from Kioti,LS,Mihindra but the 3520 Branson was so much more tractor and built very well I could not pass it up . So far it has been a beast clearing my 7.5 acres of total brush . I don't think parts availability will be a problem as Ebay has everything I believe .

how come you didn't go with the hydro? just curious I guess I see you I have a brand new brush hog mower sitting there I bet you can't wait to use that huh? nice looking rig you have there.

 

[rydfree]

The bush Hog got broken in well and is in the pic with the lumber on the front end loader . So far everything has worked very well and met or exceeded expectations . I thought about a hydro but have a lot of hilly terrain and figured the gear drive would do better . The hydro has a bit less HP on the PTO as well and if the hydro goes out you are pretty much dead where you're at .

 

[GManBart]

The bush Hog got broken in well and is in the pic with the lumber on the front end loader . So far everything has worked very well and met or exceeded expectations . I thought about a hydro but have a lot of hilly terrain and figured the gear drive would do better . The hydro has a bit less HP on the PTO as well and if the hydro goes out you are pretty much dead where you're at .

Many folks want the hydro for hilly terrain because it's safer...no clutch, shifting, etc, so you can't mess up as easily and wind up with no braking power. Since there are only rear brakes on tractors, the machine has to be in gear, and in 4wd, for the front wheels to help slow you....important if you have to go down steep hills where the rear tires have limited traction/braking power.

4k before loader is a lot to haul around with 35hp!

Parts may be a bigger problem down the road than you realize....Branson didn't make your tractor, Kukje did. Even Deere is starting to have significant problems (to include zero support) supporting some of their older machines made by Yanmar. If it can happen to them, it can happen to anybody.

 

[tman1020]

Find looking rig you got there. How do you like the Backhoe? Do you know who makes that particular one for Branson?

 

[DK35vince]

Many folks want the hydro for hilly terrain because it's safer...no clutch, shifting, etc, so you can't mess up as easily and wind up with no braking power. Since there are only rear brakes on tractors, the machine has to be in gear, and in 4wd, for the front wheels to help slow you....important if you have to go down steep hills where the rear tires have limited traction/braking power.

You make it sound like in 4 WD on a gear drive tractor the front wheel braking will no longer work if the transmission is in neutral.
That is not the way mine works.
The front and rear wheels stay locked together as long as I'm in 4WD for front wheel braking, regardless if the transmission is in gear or out.

 

[paulfun9]

You make it sound like in 4 WD on a gear drive tractor the front wheel braking will no longer work if the transmission is in neutral.
That is not the way mine works.
The front and rear wheels stay locked together as long as I'm in 4WD for front wheel braking, regardless if the transmission is in gear or out.

Proper operation where the rear tires would have limited traction going down the steep hill requires any tractor to be driven down the hill in reverse.!